CAMPBELL NAMED TO NHL ALL-STAR TEAM

Buffalo Sabres’ defenseman Brian Campbell was named to the 2008 Eastern Conference All-Star team today.

This will be Campbell’s second consecutive appearance in the event as he serves as Buffalo’s sole representative.

"It's a nice feeling," Campbell said. "It's an honor and something I will go into with my eyes wide open and something I will look forward to."

Campbell currently leads all Sabres blueliners with 28 points (4+24) on the year and is ranked ninth in the league in defensive scoring.

His efforts earned him captaincy for the month of December for the Sabres.

Campbell's confidence, however, has admittedly grown from last year's All-Star game.

“I think this year I might be a little bit more comfortable going in there. Last year I was hoping that maybe some of them would know my name," Campbell joked. "It was an experience and you try to take it all in and enjoy every moment of it and you learn from situations as you go

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Listen to Brian Campbell's complete interview as he talks about being selected to the NHL All-Star team.Brian Campbell

through it and this year it is going to be a lot of the same."

What is different this year for the veteran is how he was selected for the team. Last season he was voted by the fans into a starting position, while this year he was chosen by the NHL's Hockey Operations Department and League General Managers.

"I think both are special," he said. "Obviously last year that’s a big honor with the fans, but it’s also nice knowing sometimes you get voted in on your play and how you’ve been doing and performing this year. For me it’s something that maybe garners a little more confidence and appears that I am improving and getting better with the hard work, trying to be one of the best defensemen that I can be in the league.

“I’m hoping to keep going here and to keep getting to new heights."

In 2006-07 Campbell tallied career highs in points (42) and assists (48) and finished with a plus-28 rating.

The 2008 NHL All-Star Weekend in Atlanta will feature live national broadcasts of the Dodge/NHL SuperSkills event on Saturday, Jan. 26 and the NHL All-Star Game on Sunday, Jan. 27 on VERSUS in the United States and CBC and RDS in Canada. NASN and other international broadcasters will provide live coverage of both the Dodge/NHL SuperSkills event and the NHL All-Star Game to more than 115 countries and territories in Europe. NHL RADIO on Westwood One will provide exclusive national radio coverage which can be heard on stations around the United States and Canada as well as on XM Satellite Radio's NHL Home Ice and NHL.com.